Don’t be fooled: 2018 FIFA World Cup scams you should be weary of

We’re just a few weeks away from the global phenomenon of watching men kick an inflatable bladder around a patch of grass, and cyber criminals have never been more excited.

The FIFA World Cup, taking place in Russia this year beginning on 14 June, is an event that brings together billions of humans online. And taking advantage of these humans through online scams is an attractive proposition for some.

According to security firm ESET, a number of scams have already been spotted in the wild.

A majority of these dupes have taken the form of emails with documents attached, while others are making use of social media and messaging apps.

These “traps also include sales of fake match tickets, false news, or links to malicious sites that can be a gateway for malware or other threats. Phishing scams are also common,” writes ESET researcher Miguel Angel Mendoza.

But what do some of these scams look like? Below are a few examples

2018 FIFA World Cup scam #1

"A simplistic version of a classic ploy," ESET explains, alerts users that they've won a lottery. "In similar scenarios, the crooks will urge you to open an attached file, most commonly a PDF or Word document, in which you’ll learn about your “winnings” and how to contact the organizers in order to claim your 'prize'", the company adds.

2018 FIFA World Cup scam #2

Often scammers will ask 'competition winners' to pay a fee in order to release their 'prize'. Of course, there's no competition, no winner, and no prize.

2018 FIFA World Cup scam #3

An example of an attached document highlighting the urgency required for the winner -- that's the scammed email recipient -- to respond to the initial mail.

2018 FIFA World Cup scam #4

Scams aren't simply in English either. Brazil -- a football mad nation -- was the victim of a WhatsApp scam recently, ESET notes. "Here the scammers are trying to bamboozle the target into entering a contest for an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Russia. All that the recipient needs to do in order to be eligible for the competition is to register and make a small purchase," the company adds.

There’s no need to lose sleep over these if you practice caution and common sense online.

Feature image: ESET

Author | Andy Walker: Editor

Camper by day, run-and-gunner by night, Andy prefers his toast like his coffee -- dark and crunchy. Specialising in spotting the next big Instagram cat star, Andy also dabbles in smartphone, gadget and game reviews over on Gearburn. More